A teenager who handed himself into gardaí hours after he robbed two students and hit one with a steel mop handle has been given a suspended sentence.

Dylan Brophy's victims, a man and a woman, were “extremely traumatised” as a result of the robbery, Judge Melanie Greally told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today.

Brophy (19) of Reuben Walk, Rialto, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery on Reuben Street on March 12, 2015. He has 21 previous convictions for road traffic, public order and drug offences.

At Brophy's sentence hearing last November, Garda Brendan Lynn said Bronte Kavanagh and Ryan Donnelly were walking into town when a friend ahead of them warned them to run. Ms Kavanagh was then dragged to the ground by someone holding her bag before she was hit in the head a number of times.

She could hear male voices shouting at her before her bag, containing her iPhone and €40 in cash was ripped from her hands. She went to accident and emergency the following day to be treated for mild concussion.

Gda Lynn said Mr Donnelly was hit from behind with a metal object and punched in the face. He managed to block a few blows before his attackers demanded that he empty his pockets. Another youth, who was armed with a knife, demanded his phone before he punched him and ran away.

Mr Donnelly went to the doctor the following day where he was treated for bruises and swelling on his cheek and bruises to his legs, arms and ribs. A small amount of money had been taken from him.

Brophy was arrested two hours later when he came to the garda station. He denied making any threats and claimed he had been defending his friend.

Handing down a suspended three-year sentence, Judge Greally said the injured parties were subjected to an “extremely violent and frightening incident”. However, she accepted Brophy – who spent six months in custody for the offence last year - was extremely remorseful and taking steps to address his offending behaviour.

The court heard Brophy came from a broken home and was easily led into criminality. Gda Lynn said Brophy was both abusing and selling drugs at the time of the offence.

Defence counsel Tony McGillicuddy BL said Brophy's father died when he was ten years old and he was “effectively passed from pillar to post” afterwards.

He had been living on Reuben Street with his grandparents before his grandmother died in February 2015. Her death “further destabilised him” said Mr McGillicuddy. His grandfather then died this March.